The New Menace
by Ekobean
Summary: This is a sequel to Dark Menace, and Erol is back and turned into a robot. However, as the people of Haven quickly learn, Erol isn't alone but backed by the powers of the Dark Precursor Os'hildai. Jak and co must find a way to destroy them. Chapter 11 up.
1. Chapter One: Resurrection

**Ekobean: Though I originally wasn't planning on it, I have decided (with a little help from my fellow authors, Shady, I'm thinkin' of you) to make a sequel to my highly-reviewed story "The Dark Menace," so here you are, without further ado, I present to you, Dark Menace 2! (haha, that rhymed. I am so clever). **

_Misty Island_

_Metal Head Nest, 12:31 p.m. _

Doctor Shiv surveyed his surroundings. A spherical, rock cave, illuminated only by the flickering torches set in the walls. A wiry smile spread across his thin face. It would work this time, he knew it would. The cave walls were littered with black, winding wires that hung across the ceiling and to the ground, connecting to the rows of humming machines that he had moved into the cave.

A plain operating table stood in the center of the cave. A plain white sheet was spread over an elfin figure, the doctor's latest project. Ever since the incident several years prior, the doctor had been working tirelessly to bring the elf, a victim of the terrorist known as Jak, back to life.

The doctor snorted at the thought of Jak's name. The people of the city worshipped that creature as a savior, a gift from above to protect the city from outside threats. Why, they were practically worshipping him as a king! Only the doctor saw through his cheap disguise, and the monster he truly was.

The man's head was the only thing that had remained truly undamaged during the accident. Shiv had collected it while the spectators were distracted with Jak's escape. It had taken him years, but he had finally found a space large enough (and secluded enough) to perform the experiments. It had only been the prior year that he had discovered this place. Jak had run all the Metal Heads out of the nest, and now he had made it his private laboratory.

When Shiv had first come to the cave, he had found a grisly sight. The corpses of Metal Heads, torn limb from limb, their black blood long since coagulated in the deep ruts of the floor. This find had leaned to Shiv's advantage however. By disassembling the Metal Heads and salvaging useful components, he had made, over the course of a year, a new body for the man. And now was the time to bring him to life again.

There was no way to recharge the man's brain, that would be an act that science could not accomplish, but there was another way. By transferring the man's memories into a microchip, and implanting it into his new body, he should come back to life. In theory, at least.

Shiv immediately set to work. He ran frantically about the room, turning a knob here, pulling a lever there, adjusting a hose...

A surge of electrical energy flowed through the wires attached to the lifeless metal body. "Now for the final act," Shiv muttered excitedly. He drew from within his soiled labcoat a small crystal vial filled with a thick, purple substance. Dark Eco.

This precious substance was so hard to come by. While working as a scientist for Governess Ashelin, he had run thorough tests, contrasting Light and Dark Eco. Though Light Eco was indeed the purer of the two, Dark Eco was by far more potent. And this task would need a substance of great potency. The doctor gently pulled the cork stopper from the top of the vial and walked to the center of the room, where a collection machine was waiting. The machine consisted of a large funnel with several thick hoses feeding through it. The hoses pushed into the body, ready to feed the dark substance into it.

With a trembling hand, the doctor tipped the vial into the collection unit. The substance poured out and into the collector, sloshing about before being forcefully fed into the tubes. The substance ever so slowly crept through the tubes, like a predator stalking a Yakow. It flowed into the electrified body, and flowed until there was nothing left to feed.

For the longest time nothing happened. The doctor chewed at his nails, sweat beading his balding head. Had all of his years of research been for nothing? It couldn't be! Suddenly the form under the sheet jerked. Its back arched, it's arms curling forward, clawed fists clenched into balls.

"Yes!!"

The table rocked and fell over, his creation toppling onto the stone floor. One single word issued forth from its mouth, and it echoed across the cavern as it screamed from his mouth:

"JAK!!!"

"Relax, relax friend! Calm down!" Shiv ran forward, trying to comfort the twitching mass of metal. Resurrection could be in no way pleasant. Bolts of dark Econetic energy issued from the polished metal of the cyborg. It slowly stood, its red eyes gleaming with their own light. His reflective new skin flickered in the dim lighting of the cave.

"Where am I?" it said.

"You are in the Metal Head Nest. My name is Dr. Shiv, I created this new body you find yourself in."

"What are you talking about, old man?"

"My dear boy, I resurrected you after that terrible accident. That was years ago."

The cyborg slowly looked down at his hands, dreading at what he may see. The metal claws, sparkling in the light...it made him want to vomit. "No...no! What have you done to me!?" the cyborg fell backward, scrambling away from the doctor like a rodent.

"No, no, please calm yourself. I can make you appear normal again! I simply brought you back right now, but you can still appear to be a normal person! Just imagine it."

"You have resurrected me as a mechanical freak, you idiot!" the cyborg screamed, scrambling to his feet. "The only thing I _imagine_ is your death!"

"Wha" – Shiv managed to say before a stabbing pain raked across his stomach. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath. The cyborg was behind him now. In a split second he had moved from twenty feet in front of him to thirty feet behind him. The dying scientist looked fearfully down at his blood stained shirt. He could feel his bowels coming undone, blood rushing out of him. "No..."

He fell forward, blood leaking from his cracked mouth, eyes wide open.

The cyborg glanced down at his new, clawed fingers, dripping with fresh blood. He could not feel anything. Not the wind nor the hot liquid dripping down his fingertips. He may not have been normal, but this new form could be of use. Jak would pay for what he did to him. Humiliated him, and then killed him in front of hundreds of people. He flinched at the last memory before the explosion.

Now it would be Jak's turn. He would torture Jak, torture him to death...he swore it...

_To be continued..._

**Ekobean: There you have it, the first chapter of my FIRST sequel! I hope for this one to be just as popular as Dark Menace, so gimme them good reviews, please!**


	2. Chapter Two: Awareness

**Ekobean: Sorry it's taken so long. I didn't have this story pre-planned like I did with Dark Menace. Anyway, here's the second chapter. **

"Come on, Mar, come to me," Jak cooed to the baby.

His son was standing unevenly on it's small, chubby legs, his hand placed on the living room table for balance. The baby's brow was furrowed with concentration, his rubbery lips scrunched together, giving him an almost lizard-like appearance.

Jak looked excitedly up at Keira, who was standing behind the baby with her hands spread, ready to catch him if he were to fall.

"Come on," Jak whispered.

Mar looked up at Jak with his crystal blue eyes, and his mouth spread into a toothless smile. Shakily, he forced his left foot forward, and then his right. His brow was furrowed in utmost concentration. Keira gasped.

Mar, his chubby arms outstretched, took five steps before falling into Jak's outstretched arms. Jak gave a whoop of joy and lifted the young elf high over his head. The baby giggled as his father bounced him this way and that.

Keira whistled and sprang to her feet clapping. "You did it!" She ran to Jak and hugged him. "I can't wait to tell Daddy!"

"What do you think Mar?" Jak said, looking into the baby's laughing face, "do you want to tell grandpa that you can walk?" Mar stretched out his arms and ran his soft fingers down Jak's face. "I'll take that as a 'yes.'"

Jak stumbled suddenly as if he'd been hit in the back of the head suddenly. He fell forward, struggling for balance. Shaking his head, ears twitching, he shoved Mar into Keira's hands and immediately ran for the staircase. "Jak!" Keira called after him while bouncing a whimpering Mar in her hands. Jak was already halfway up the staircase.

He reached the building top and looked around wildly. The city spread out before him like a great winding labyrinth. The scars of the battle with the Dark Metal Heads still showed fresh upon many of the buildings in the area. The city had taken such serious damage that even now, one year after Jak had defeated Maia, it was still undergoing heavy repair.

He scanned the surrounding area wildly. He had sensed a massive surge of Dark Econetic energy, he'd known it. His Light Powers had grown more attuned over the course of a year. Destroying the Dark Eco within the Silos was a draining process. In just a year he had already destroyed nearly half of the dark substance contained within it.

He began breathing softer, focusing on what he wanted. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to see with his mind, not with his eyes. The world appeared in his mind in a new way. It was as if everything was constructed of light. He had found this to be a way of seeing Dark Eco. Everything appeared to be made of a dazzling white light, but Dark Eco was a purple-black cloud, floating heavily over the things it had corrupted. He scanned the environment slowly, not daring to miss the slightest detail. To the north was a massive concentration of Dark Eco. Those were the Silos. He didn't have to worry about that. But then, after two seconds, he found it. It was barely visible even in his mind. A small point, about the size of a man, on Misty Island.

"Jak!"

Jak opened is eyes, momentarily shocked by what he had seen.

"Jak, what is it? What's going on?" Keira was at his side, tugging frantically at his tunic sleeve.

"Call your father and Torn," he commanded, pushing past her, "we have to go to Misty Island."

"What? Why?"

"Now, Keira!"

"Jak, what's wrong!" she yelled after him. He wasn't listening. He was already at the bottom of the stairs.


	3. Chapter Three: Encounter

**Ekobean: Chapter three everybody! Sorry I had to erase the first version, but it just wasn't appearing. So, here it is.**

Jak blinked against the wind as Hellcat rushed forward. The wind had an icy chill that bit into his nose and face, but it was nearly non-existent to him. His heart, mind, and soul were all focused on that sole point of darkness that was roaming on Misty Island. He tried desperately to push the thought of Gol or Maia from his mind, but it was impossible.

The brother and sister were crafty, and had great knowledge of the workings of the world. Was it at all possible that at least one of them had found a way to return from death? A ludicrous as it sounded, Jak couldn't help but wonder.

The sky was overcast and cloudy, and the smell of raid was thick in the air. This was going to be a miserable trek. Torn was sitting in the seat next to Jak with his hands wrapped firmly around the wheel. His knuckles were white, and his teeth were clenched. Jak knew what was on his mind, if there was a being with power over Dark Eco, there was the potential for war.

Keira was sitting behind Jak, wrapped tightly in a furry coat of tanned Yakow hide. They had hastily asked their neighbor, Bal, to watch baby Mar as they trekked off on this expedition. For one instant Keira's green eyes met Jak's, and both knew that they felt the same emotion: worry. This was dangerous, and if one of them happened to be injured or worse, the impact on Mar would be severe.

Four other Hellcats were flying on either side of Jak's in a "V" formation. The one directly to the right was piloted by Ashelin and carried Samos and Brutter, while the vehicle to the left was piloted by Shady Sis and carried Sig, Tess, and Daxter.

A great, icy gust of wind rocked the plated body of the Hellcat, causing it to sway slightly. There was definitely a storm coming. Jak looked worriedly over his shoulder at Keira. "How are you doing?" he called.

Keira didn't answer, just slipper one gloved hand out from under the cover and game him a "thumbs up."

Jak nodded and turned back to face the oncoming island. True to its name, a thick blanket of fog hung over every bit of it, nearly obscuring it completely from view. Jak pulled his old Morph-Gun out from his satchel and began to polish the barrel, trying to distract himself from the upcoming task he would face.

Time passed much too quickly. The half hour it took to fly to the island felt like three seconds. As the first of the Hellcats touched down on the rocky ground, Jak vaulted from the craft and drew his gun, ready for any ambush that may have been set up. Torn, Ashelin, Shady and the rest of the troop followed his lead. Each of them carried a long Red Eco blaster, cocked and ready for action.

"Well Jak?" Ashelin whispered, "where is he?"

"Last time I looked he was still in the Metal Head Leader's cave." Jak closed his eyes and concentrated, again seeing the world as if it were fashioned out of pure light. Sure enough, the Dark Eco being was still sitting in the Kor's cave, as if it hadn't moved at all. "He's still there," Jak informed her, focusing back to normal sight.

"We'll move in there then."

The troop moved cautiously toward the cave in a tight circle, guns all pointing outwards. "I don't want any firing unless absolutely necessary," Ashelin ordered, "any Guard who acts otherwise will turn his badge in to Commander Torn. Is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am," the Guards answered in unison.

This mode of transportation was extremely slow. Every five yards took a full minute to cross. Daxter groaned, "We'll be lucky if this thing is even alive by the time we get there."

"Patience is a virtue, Daxter," replied the Sage wisely. Daxter muttered something disrespectful. By the time they reached the cave a full hour had passed. The troop bent down to their stomachs and crawled up to the entrance of the cave. Jak was the first to reach the ledge. The rest of the troop soon followed. Every elf gasped in shock at what they beheld.

A shiny, elf-ish cyborg was sitting in the middle of the cave in an almost Zen-like pose. Zaps of Dark Econetic energy were radiating from every inch of its "skin." It was unbelievably shiny, reflecting its surroundings like a mirror.

"Commander," said one of the guards, "I've got a clear shot at it. Should I take it."

"Don't bother."

The voice hadn't come from Torn. It had escaped from within the cave. Every head turned back to within the reaches of the cave. The robot was standing now, it's eyes were glowing in a deep shade of crimson. "You don't think that I am totally oblivious, do you? I have been awaiting your arrival this entire time." The robot's voice was flat and emotionless, as artificial as the rest of it. "However, only one of you will die today." The robot began walking toward the mouth of the cave calmly, it's arms swinging relaxed at its sides. It raised one of its clawed fingers and pointed to Jak. "You."

"TAKE IT DOWN!" roared Sig.

"No wait! Hold fire!" Torn yelled, but it was too late. The Guards were already firing at the robot, hundreds of bullets flying at mach-speed into its chrome body. The cyborg slowed momentarily, forced back by the bullets ricocheting into it. It seemed to regain its composure, and began sprinting. The rate of fire increased ten fold. Torn's yells were nearly inaudible over the thunder of gunshots echoing through the cave.

The robot was running full tilt. In just one second it would reach the cave mouth. This was when Sig fired a fully-charged Peace Maker shell point-blank into its chest. The robot cried out and was sent hurtling backward into the cave, crashing into the opposite side.

"How'd ya like them apples, cherry!" Sig hollered at the crumpled form of the robot. His victory cry fell short as the robot began to shakily rise from the rubble. It dusted off its frame casually and looked up at Sig.

"You are going to wish you hadn't done that." It stated plainly, and then it leapt. It easily cleared the expanse of the cave in a single bound. It landed in front of Sig and swept him off his feet with his own. The astonished Wastelander flew into the air. The cyborg rose railed Sig in the chest in midair.

The Wastelander flew backwards twenty feet, where he crashed into a pillar of rock and slumped to the ground, unconscious.

The rate of gunfire was deafening. The bullets of Red Eco ricocheted off of the robot by the thousand. The cyborg ran through the ranks of Krimzon Guard, dispatching them left and right in seconds. It swung its clawed fingers and hewed a Guard's esophagus in one clean stroke. The guard rasped and slumped to the ground.

It spun and sank its claws through another guard's chest plate and hurled him into a cluster of others.

In seconds the entire squadron, including Ashelin and Torn, were unconscious or dead.

Jak instinctively walked in front of Keira and Samos.

The robot, after examining its blood-soaked claws, turned its soulless eyes toward Jak. "You are mine now, Dark Eco freak."

"Wait, what?" Jak gasped. The robot said no more, and charged toward Jak with its claws out stretched.

**Ekobean: By now, if you don't already know, I'm sure you have guessed the cyborg's identity. Watch for Chapter 4 coming soon: a kick-ass fight between the cyborg and Light Jak!**


	4. Chapter Four: Deception

**Ekobean: Chapter 4, y'all. Nuff said.**

**orlandobloomfn – I think there's a patch for that...**

**Shadowsister – Nope, you just can't catch a break. No, she is not dead, but thanks for the concern. :-D**

**Hellmouth – SECOND!!? Why you...!!!**

**Dark Eco Freak: Poop on you, Shredder.**

**LunaticPandora1: Yes, I'm aware of that. I was actually thinking of having Jak make a comment, but I got lazy.**

Jak had no time to react. The cyborg's cold mechanical leg caught him hard in the stomach, sending him sailing backward along the beaten path. He landed on the ground and kept moving skidding along the path until coming to a slow stop. He shut his eyes tight, holding back the tears. He could already feel that he had broken three ribs. His breath came and went in harsh, shaking gasps.

He looked up to see the robot standing over him. It reached down with its blood-stained hand and grabbed a handful of Jak's hair, raising the crumpled elf to his feet. "And here I thought this would be a challenge," it laughed, "why, this is barely even fun." He rolled his hand into a fist and pulled back, about to –

Three clear shots rang out in the background. The robot dropped Jak in surprise as the Red Eco bullets struck it in the back. The robot heaved an exasperated sigh and turned to see Keira holding a smoking Red Eco rifle. She wore a deep scowl that seemed so out of place on her normally cheery face.

The robot cocked its head and sprinted over to Keira. Keira cocked the rifle and readied it. The robot reached her in a spit second, hewing the barrel of the gun into four perfect quarters. Keira gasped and looked down at the perfectly cut barrel. She then slowly stared up at the gleaming cyborg standing over her. She made a vain attempt to bat its face with the butt. The robot casually grabbed the barrel in mid-stroke and crushed it as if it were fiberglass. He snatched the gun away and tossed it over to the side. He pulled Keira close and began to speak in a mock-hurt voice. "Oh Keira, is that any way to treat an old friend?" he cooed.

"What?"

"You know, you never did give me that kiss you promised on our first date."

Keira's eyes widened in shock. "No...you're not...you can't be..."

"Believe it, Keira. You are mine. I – AAGH!" The robot sailed forward over Keira and into the side of the cave wall. After two seconds, it peeled away from the wall and fell to the ground, leaving a partial imprint of itself in the wall.

Keira looked back over to Jak. He was kneeling with one hand clutching his ribs. He was holding his Peace Maker tucked under his arm. "Stay...away from her," he hissed.

The robot slowly rose from the ground. Sparks of Dark Eco danced about its reflective skin. "That does it. You die now." The robot began marching toward the kneeling form of Jak. His clawed hands were clenched into tight fists, glowing with Dark Econetic energy.

Meanwhile, Jak was waiting. "Come on," he muttered, "just a little closer..." He was focusing, focusing on one thing: the Light Eco within his bloodstream. The gland that had formed over the years that had once existed to release Dark Eco into his bloodstream (read "Dark Menace") now released the opposite: Light Eco. He was totally concentrating on that gland. He could feel it, he could feel it slowly releasing small quantities of the pure substance into his bloodstream. Even at that moment he could feel his cuts and fractures healing.

But he needed more. Just a little more...

A hand suddenly clenched around Jak's tunic. The robot lifted the limp elf to his face and said "Time to die." He spun Jak around, spun him until he was nothing but a blur. Then, suddenly, he threw him. He hurled him upward, up onto the top of the cave entrance. Jak landed with a thud, wincing as he hit the hard rock. Thunder cracked in the background. Rain began to fall, turning the quiet of the area into a symphony as the drops hit different objects.

Jak squeezed his eyes shut and focused. "Just a little more..."

He rose to his feet, his hair plastered to the back of his neck with the sudden downpour of rain. He heard the thud of the robot landing in front of him, he felt the rock tremble at the sudden change in weight. Let him think that he'd won. His end was near.

The robot strolled up in front of the silent elf. "Dignity in death, eh Eco freak?" laughed the robot. "Let me aid you." The robot pulled back his fist and with a scream, threw his punch straight into Jak's chest. Jak didn't grunt or even react, he simply flew backward and off the back of the cave, over the cliff behind. The cyborg laughed and walked up to the edge, and peered down at the expanse below, marred by the blanket of fog.

He peered into the depths, scanning for any movement. At first he found none...but wait...

He looked harder, focusing on a mall point of light, no larger than a star in the night sky, slowly growing within the depths of the fog. And then suddenly he was blasted back, flying backward to the opposite end of the cave top. Almost as if in slow motion, the angelic figure rose into view from the cliff. "Jak?" rasped the robot, scrambling to his feet.

"In one way or another...Erol."

The robot's mechanical face almost seemed to smile. "I see you finally recognize me," he droned, "and I can see that you are not just a Dark Eco freak anymore."

"No," said Light Jak, "it appears as though that position has fallen to you."

The Cyber-Erol's eye's flashed with a dangerous crimson. "And the reason for that falls to _you!_"

"No Erol," replied Light Jak calmly, "it was your drive to win, your reckless ambition that sealed your fate."

"Just because you've learned a few new tricks doesn't mean you have to talk like a Sage!" Erol seethed. Dark Eco flashed from his body, searing away the stone from beneath his feet. "You're mine!" Erol leaped forward in a movement of blind fury. He brought his claws forward, aiming straight for Jak's heart, and brought them down in one clean stroke.

Light Jak flapped his wings once, easily dodging Erol's blind leap. Erol flipped in midair and sunk his claws deep into the ancient stone of the cliff. He caught himself, sinking his other hand and both feet into the side and began scaling it in a lizard-like fashion. Screaming, he threw himself upward and again threw out both claws, this time for Jak's face.

Jak reached out and grabbed Erol's hands, flipping him over his shoulder and slamming him into the top of the cave. Not nearly finished with his attack, Jak landed on the top and landed a swift kick to Erol's stomach, sending him on a blind flight in towards the mainland. The cyborg landed about fifty feet inward on his stomach. Jak ran after him and leaped off the side of the cliff, spreading out his wings and flapping them hard. He swooped down upon Erol like an enormous, shining vulture, landing two kicks in midair to Erol's face.

"Jak wait!" Samos warned, yelling out to the viciously attacking Jak. Jak hadn't heard the Sage's yell, however. His mind, body, and soul were focused on one thing: Erol's death.

Erol rose from his defenseless position, limbs shaking and buckling. His left arm was completely useless. Hot golden sparks were flying from the spiderweb of circuitry that ran through it.

"This is an example of just how I felt those two years," Jak said. His eyes were hard and cold, staring into Cyber Erol's soulless pits. "Defenseless, helpless...I'm going to make one thing clear to you now. You are not going to live past this day, and believe me, this time no one will bring you back." Jak held out his palm, fingers spread wide. A point of light began to form, slowly growing to the size of a baseball.

Erol frantically tried to move, to do anything, but only sparks flew from his mechanical joints.

"Good bye, Erol."

The beam flew from Jak's hand in a microsecond. Yet Jak saw it happen just before the beam hit home. A flash of green light, like the flash from a camera. Erol was gone, his beam only hit the age-old rock of the island. Jak turned to find Samos with a set frown on his face, his staff pointed outward towards the spot where Erol had been just seconds before.

"Samos..." Jak hissed, slowly drawing closer to the sage, "what did you do."

The Sage looked defiantly up into Light Jak's smoldering white eyes. "I teleported him away."

Jak was on top of Samos in a heartbeat. He lifted the sage easily into the air and shook him. The bird that rested in Samos' hair took flight and flew circles around Jak's head, twittering madly. "Why!?" Jak thundered, shaking Samos again.

A spasm of fear leapt into the Sage's eyes, magnified by his spectacles. "My boy, put me down, you're hurting me!"

"Why!" Jak screamed again, drawing him into within an inch of his face.

Samos' breathing was ragged, his hands, which were clenched around Jak's arms, were shaking with fear.

"Jak! Stop, please!" Keira begged, sobbing.

"Jak," Samos whispered, "because I believe that both of you have a part to play before this is over."

**GOD!! Sorry it took so freaking long. Still, this may very well be the last chapter. I'm still deciding if to continue this or not. What do you think?**


	5. Chapter Five: Revelations

**Ekobean: Ah, it's back up an running. Yes, this is finally my next chapter in New Menace. However, I fear this will significantly shorter than its predecessor unless I can think of more things to keep it interesting. Until then, please read on!**

The entire room was silent. Even the computers seemed far off and silent as every eye in the room followed Samos' every move. The short green sage was sitting in a chair at the end of the Palace's meeting table twiddling his thumbs nervously. The bird that normally sat atop the large log on his head had abandoned its perch to pick at the flies and insects that lived in the cracks and fissures of the room.

Familiar faces lined the outsides of the table. Most of them were bruised or covered by bandages by Robo-Erol's onslaught. Ashelin had a long, ugly gash across the left side of her face, Torn's arm was in a sling, and Sig had suffered three cracked ribs and a slight concussion.

Shady Sis, who was normally upbeat and loud, was now silent and glaring with her chocolate-brown eyes at the sweating sage. Jak had his arms crossed and his feet set on the table, opposite of Samos. Keira was sitting next to Samos, supporting him, patting him on the back.

Shady suddenly burst out with full fury, ignoring the pain in her bandaged torso. "You should have let Jak kill the son of a bitch, Samos!"

"Now he's out there doing Mar-knows-what!" Ashelin agreed.

"We all want to know Samos, why did you help him?" growled Jak, speaking for the first time in the two days since the incident.

"Because I believe that both you and him play a part in the course of this world," Samos answered humbly.

"That's what you said before, gramps!" Daxter shouted, banging his gloved hand on the table.

"That doesn't cut it. Why did you do it?" Torn hissed.

Samos sighed and rose from his seat, nervously pacing back and forth.

"Because…" he began thoughtfully, "all Eco needs a master."

The room was silent for about ten seconds.

"…Huh?"

Samos faced the group. "Don't you think it peculiar that just a year after Jak defeated Gol and Maia, two creatures controlled by Dark Eco" –

"You're forgetting Dark Jak," Tess corrected.

"Right. Don't you think it peculiar that after defeating three creatures powered by Dark Eco that another would arise just a year later?"

Mutters of agreement rose up from the group. "What's you point?" Shady urged.

"My point is that all Eco needs a master. Why do you think there were sages in the first place? Even when the Precursors ruled the universe openly, they had assigned Sages for each type of Eco: Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, Dark, and Light. Without one of these to manage their type of Eco, it becomes unstable, and it tends to produce far more rapidly. If there is an imbalance with any amount of Eco in the world, it will become uneven and eventually the Apocalypse will follow."

"And you didn't tell us this before because…?"

"Because I had hoped that the next Dark Eco Sage would be someone who cannot be corrupted by it…someone like Daxter maybe."

Daxter's jaw dropped open. "Me? Why?"

"Because you have already been touched by Dark Eco and lived. I thought you might be fate's obvious choice, but I guess I was wrong."

"But Jak's been touched by Dark Eco too."

"Yes, but Jak is already a Sage. The Light Sage."

"I am?" Jak gasped, rising.

"Yes. You are the only one among us who can use Light Eco, my boy. One cannot be the Sage of more than one type of Eco. It's the Precursor's unwritten Law."

"Wait, go back to that imbalance thing," said Ashelin. "You said that if there were an imbalance it would cause the Apocalypse?"

"Yes, I did."

"So that's why you didn't want Jak destroying the Dark Eco in the Silos. You knew that once he did it would eventually lead him underground to the source."

"That's true."

"So…wait. You said there had to be a sage of every type of Eco, right? Why hasn't the Apocalypse come yet? There aren't exactly any colorful people running around here."

Samos smiled. "Because the Red, Blue, and Yellow Sages are still alive. It is our sages' jobs to manage our Ecos for as long as possible until our heirs, the ones we will pass our powers to, come by. They're scattered about the world in the environment that suits them best. That is where every Sage's instincts leads them eventually."

"Then if Erol is the Dark Sage, he'll go to an environment that suits him best."


	6. Chapter Six: Place of Shadow

**Ekobean: Well, after a bit of brainstorming, I have come up with new ideas. Hopefully they'll end up just as popular as "Dark Menace." Have a good one.**

Erol hobbled through the dank air of the mountain cave. The past few days were a blur to him. All he could remember was that Light freak standing over him, some massive attack forming at his fingertips, then a flash of green light, and then boom! Here he was…

He had found himself in some valley in the Wasteland mountains. His injuries had been severe. He'd had to tear his own mechanical arm off because of the damages. The pain had been excruciating. If that fool of a doctor had felt the urge to resurrect him, he at least could have given him the gift of a painless body!

Erol hissed and slammed his remaining arm into the cave's damp wall, sending a shower of droplets raining down from the rows of stalactites above him. "I was better off dead," he hissed, "now I don't fit in anywhere."

The only thing he had to look forward to was whatever was at the end of this cave…

Some mysterious power, and unheard voice, was calling him, urging him to come, to venture deep into the cave's dark depths.

He ventured on ever deeper. The air became thicker and mustier as he went on. Beads of dew formed on his rusting frame, mist glittering on the metallic surface.

At last he came to an opening. As he walked through he found himself on a narrow walkway in the middle of a cavernous hall perhaps millions of years old. It was nearly two hundred feet in diameter. A ray of sunlight burst down from a hole in the ceiling, giving the only source of light. Erol could make out a bubbling lake of Dark Eco on either side, sloshing menacingly. At the very end of the walkway was an enormous Dark Eco Crystal. It gave off a faint light of its own, a dark; purplish light.

As Erol drew closer it began to radiate more frequently, almost as if it were excited. Every artificial nerve in his mech-body wanted to turn around right then and leave. There was something indeed strange going on.

When he was not two feet away Erol could make out a faint shape moving inside it. It was barely visible, merely a wavy silhouette, but it was elf-ish. And it was staring at him.

A deep, hollow voice that dropped Erol to his knees emanated from deep within the Crystal's murky depths. "At last…" it rumbled, "after eons of waiting, my savior has arrived."

Erol's blood-red eyes focused harder on the Crystal. "Are…are you talking to me?"

The Crystal shook violently. The vibration sent several huge stalactites falling into the Dark Eco about them. "WHO ELSE WOULD I BE TALKING TO!!??"

Erol dropped his head, quivering.

"I am Os'hildai. The first of the Dark Sages."

Erol paused, lifting his head again to stare with wonder into the dark depths of the crystal. Os'hildai? Why was that name so familiar?

"Because you have heard it before. Hidden deep in your lineage, dark one. Your great grandfather Os and his sister Hildai, the spawn of the Dark Sage Gol and his bitch sister Maia? Gol and Maia…the ungrateful duo whom I gave my Dark Powers to when they too found this chamber? The two whom betrayed me and left me here to achieve their own ends? Oh yes, Erol, you and I are connected."

"What?"

"I had believed that your sires Gol and Maia would be the ones to set me free from this accursed prison, but I was wrong. It would be their descendant who would be my savior. I am a Precursor, Erol, the first of the sages whom inherited the powers of Eco."

"A Precursor…"

"Erol, I will heal you. I will give you power beyond your wildest dreams. And when I am free you and I together will rule this pathetic rock, spreading our power across the universe. I will rule over the other Sages with you at my right hand. I ask only one thing: Your everlasting allegiance and loyalty to me and only me. Forever."

Erol's microchip brain took a minute to process everything it had just heard. Second in command to a Precursor? To rule the universe forever… If he had had lips he'd have smiled.

He rose to his feet, his hand across his chest. "I swear."

"Good." A beam of dark energy shot forward from within the crystal. It lifted Erol from the ground, two feet into the air. Erol twisted and shrieked, this limbs flailing about. An indescribable pain radiated from within him. White hot knives were baring into every crevice of his body.

And then it was over. He was lying on the floor in a crumpled heap, stray sparks flying from his body.

"Rise, Erol, rise and taste power!"

Erol rose shakily to his feet, and looked down at his body. It was flawless, shining in the gloomy light from Os'hildai's crystal. The missing mechanical arm had been replaced with a black, muscular one. At the end was a four-fingered, clawed hand. Ebony claws extended from its finger tips.

The crystal set its unseen eyes upon the new Cyber-Erol. "Now listen to me very carefully…"

_In the time before time, when the Precursors ruled the land and Heavens,_

_The Six Chosen ruled over the Lifeblood, forcing balance upon it,_

_But as the eons passed, corruption rose from within,_

_And the Dark One betrayed, threatened to overtake all, _

_The Chosen remaining stood against the Dark One and his Dark Armies,_

_And the Dark One stood at last alone, a single sword in his claw,_

_T'was the one of Light whom passed judgment at last._

_And the Chosen banished the Dark One to a place of Shadow,_

_But the Dark One cried out, before sent away,_

_That the Heir of the Dark would release him at last,_

_And the Earth would Quake, and the Chosen would crumble._

_To be continued…_


	7. Chapter Seven: Moment of Truth

**Ekobean: Blah.**

**Responses:**

**Red Hawk K'sani – I'm aware of that, but this story really isn't connected to Jak 3 the game. Besides, (SPOILER ALERT!!) the ones at the end were supposed to be the remnants of the Precursor race, not the only ones that ever existed.**

**Shadowsister – Right you are! It's not going to be the clichéd "Take over the world" plot, there is going to be something much deeper. Also, I know that the prophecy doesn't rhyme. I'm trying to kinda reflect on how the book "The Odyssey" is written. I think I did fairly well…Anyways thanks for the review!! XD**

The small room buzzed with the chatter of New Krimzon Guard troops. Most of them were laughing or joking about different random subjects.

Jak snorted as he surveyed them. They didn't realize how urgent the situation was. Jak, Keira, Sig, Samos and Torn were sitting in chairs upon a stage, overlooking the room filled with row upon row of seated Krimzon Guards.

Keira was bouncing Mar absent-mindedly on her knee. Mar had her finger grasped tightly in his pudgy hands, laughing gaily. Keira's expression was neutral, her eyes wide and unblinking, staring deeply into the abyss.

Jak nudged her worriedly. "Are you ok?"

Keira blinked and turned her head to him. One look from her gave him the answer. No.

Ashelin stepped up onto the stage and up to the podium that had been set at the head of the stage. "Your attention please."

The uproar of muffled voices slowly died as hundreds of pairs of goggled eyes focused on Ashelin.

"Thank you. You may all be wondering why you've been summoned here, why we would call you on an Orange-Level emergency just after this city was under siege from an army of Dark Metal Heads. To tell you the truth, the reason is by no means sensible. In fact, many of you may think that I'm crazy. There is no easy way to tell you, so I'll just say it outright. The world may be at risk of destruction. A man was resurrected as a Dark Eco powered cyborg. Many Krimzon veterans will no this man, for he was a commander at one time among you.

"His name is Erol. And if he is not found, as I am told by my advisor Samos, a great cataclysm is at risk of taking place. For full details I give you over to Samos himself."

Ashelin turned from the podium, allowing Samos room. Samos nodded and rose from his seat next to Torn, which Ashelin filled. "Centuries ago," Samos began in a voice so cold that every eye was drawn to him, "all Eco in the world was governed and managed by Sages. There were six of them in all, myself; the Sage of Green Eco, Revv; the Sage of Blue Eco, Asha; the Sage of Red Eco, K'sil; the Sage of Yellow Eco, and Gol and Maia, the Sages of Dark Eco."

At the mention of Gol and Maia, most of the room shared in a brief shudder.

"These Sages maintained the natural flow of the Eco of the world. If there was no Sage for a certain type of Eco, that Eco would produce uncontrollably, soon destroying the world with the imbalance," Samos turned to Jak, "and to answer your question Jak, Light Eco was already bound to you, and the fact that there was so little of it already meant that just your existence was enough to keep the minor amounts from mass-producing. You were born to be the Light Sage."

Jak nodded, averting his gaze from the ancient elf. So many things connected to him…how could that be possible?

"All Sages knew that the very first were members of the Precursor race themselves," Samos continued, turning back to the rest of the crowd, "the very same power has been passed down from Precursor to elf, to elf, to elf for generations. I believe that this new Robo-Erol is the latest Dark Sage, the successor of Gol and Maia. I had always wondered how Gol and Maia had received their Sagely powers, but now I fear that I know too much. After Gol and Maia's defeat I entered the robot head they had been trapped in for centuries and found writings scratched into the very surface of the metal.

"It appeared that during their time in Dark Eco they spent much of it conscious, eventually going mad before slipping into their suspended animation. These writings told everything, how they received their powers, of their descendents, everything. I only translated these writings days ago, and much too late, after I had saved Erol from oblivion. Gol and Maia, in their youth, discovered an ancient Precursor tomb while exploring the mountains of the Wasteland. They found at the very center of this tomb the jail cell of Os'hildai, the first Dark Sage; a Precursor. This Sage sensed the darkness in their hearts, and blessed them with his own Dark Powers once they swore to release him. But they betrayed him, leaving him there.

"As I said before I discovered this too late. I had teleported Erol into the Wasteland, just twenty miles from that very site. Undoubtedly Erol has already discovered that place, and has come in contact with Os'hildai. If I am correct, Erol will go searching for the other Sages as Os'hildai orders."

Ten seconds of silence followed, as even the insects themselves didn't dare to breathe.

"What do the Sages have to do with anything?" Shady asked, the first of any who dared to speak.

"It was the six other ancient Sages; Light, Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green; that imprisoned Os'hildai in the first place. Only their powers could erect a prison powerful enough to hold such a titan, and only their powers can break it."

"Then we have to get to them first!" Jak yelled, springing to his feet.

"Yes."

"What're we waiting for then?"

"Jak, my boy, the Sages are most likely scattered all about the land. If I'm correct, they are in the Palaces of their Precurian predecessors, in areas that suit them best."

Jak snapped his fingers. "Their huts! You know, where we found them back when we lived in Sandover!"

"Commendable logic, my boy, but you're wrong. Those areas were simply outposts so that they could oversee the goings on of the above world. The true Palaces are majestic, large and glimmering…"

"Then how do you suggest that we find them?" demanded Ashelin.

"By monitoring the temperatures of the world! Isn't it logical? Red Eco-fire-hottest place! Blue Eco-water-coldest place! It's simple, you just need to think!" Samos exploded, showing such aggression that even hard-nosed Ashelin was taken aback.

"We'll have to split up," said Ashelin, her eyes glued to the floor, "form groups. Red, Blue, and Yellow. We already have the Light, Dark, and Green Sages." Ashelin stepped up to the podium. "You all have been filled in on the situation. It is understandable if anybody wishes to back down, we are dealing with forces well beyond our understanding. I cannot guarantee that many of you will return alive. However, those of you that wish to serve not only for this city's survival, but for the entire world's, stand up and place your hand over your heart!"

Everybody on the stage's eyes widened as over ¾ of the room's guards stood. With full confidence, they smacked their armored hands over their hearts in unison. Ashelin couldn't help but smile. So many brave souls…so loyal…

"Good. We will split up this group evenly. One third goes after one Sage. Do not eat, do not sleep, do not blink an eye until you find them. We cannot, and we _will not_ allow Erol to find them before us!"

The groups were split up evenly, and named Alpha, Beta, and Theta, and each was made up of about half lower-ranking Krimzon Guards and half Krimzon Elite. Each group served under one commander. Jak had once again been made commander of the group Alpha. His second-in-command was Shady Sis, both of whom had been in battle with each other before hand. Ashelin knew that together they made a lethal team. Beta group was headed by Sig, with Daxter and Tess as his second-in-commands. Last, Theta group was to be headed by Ashelin herself, and as always, Torn was her second-in-command.

Two days later, the groups had been given an enormous transport of Hellcat Cruisers. Nearly half the city was surrounding the takeoff point in the Port to say farewell to the brave servicemen. Married women or men gave their final goodbye kisses, extra food, or blankets. There were cries of sadness and anguish, people that left for a moment alone. The scene was so horrible and downing that even Sig had to turn away to hide a tear that rolled from his one good eye.

Keira was looking up at Jak, tears brimming on the edges of her eyes, rolling down her cheeks and obscuring her makeup. "I wish I could come with you," she sniffled as she bounced an unusually silent Mar in her arm.

"So do I," said Jak, running his hand down her back, "more than anything."

Keira gasped, turning her face away to wipe away a fresh volley of tears. When she turned back, her eyes were hazy, nearly overflowing. "I love you Jak," she whimpered, "more than anything."

"I love you, Keira," Jak pulled Keira close to him, locking her in a long, passionate kiss. Keira's body relaxed as he pulled her close, running her one free arm around his neck.

Ashelin's magnified voice broke the tenderness of the moment. "All forces depart for Hellcats!"

Regretfully, Jak parted his lips from Keira, releasing her from his grasp. Keira backed away, her hand covering her mouth, eyes never leaving Jak as he marched into the Hellcat next to Shady.

Jak never looked back at Keira, he felt the pain would be too great. He had felt in hard to leave her when the Metal Heads attacked the city, but now that he was married to her, the pain was almost unbearable. Begrudgingly, he punched in the security code on the Hellcat's panel and heard it's enormous engines roar to fiery life.

Shady's sarcastic bark broke him from his pain as the Hellcats began to rise. "Y'see, that's why I never got married." Shady laughed, smacking Jak on the back.

Despite himself, Jak couldn't help but let a small, twitching smile crawl across his face. "Oh shut up."

As the cheers of Haven's citizens faded, Ashelin's crackly voice escaped from the Hellcat's dash radio. "All forces, break for destined locations…now."

On command, Alpha, Beta, and Theta broke apart, forming a "v" formation for each group. Jak already knew that this would be, by far, the greatest adventure he had ever been on.

Jak switched the radio to the Hellcat that Daxter, Tess, and Sig occupied. "Yeah, what?" Sig's harsh bark shouted.

"I just wanted to say good luck," Jak said.

"Thanks chili pepper, you too."

"Hey Jak!" Daxter's high-pitched whoop cut in, "don't die alright? I still want a rematch on that wrestling match!"

"Sure thing, Dax," Jak laughed, recalling how he had easily beaten the red-haired elf.

"Over and out."

Jak sighed and looked over at Shady, who smiled. And Jak realized suddenly, that apart from her and his fleet, they were truly alone.

_To be continued…_


	8. Chapter Eight: Evening the Odds

**Ekobean: Ok, I know that this is a short chapter, but it's just providing some background information. I just thought that people would be less confused when the see that there's an army of Dark Eco beings in later chapters. Oh, and before I forget, I'm considering the possibility of a little affection between Torn and Ashelin in later chapters. Tell me what you think. RR.**

_The Chamber of Os'hildai_

Days passed in one unchanging chain, each day another black link. Erol's pain-filled screams echoed around the polished surface of the circular room. The pools of Dark Eco sloshed about, their soft ominous splashes dwarfed by the volume of the screams.

Os'hildai's crystal was glowing brighter than ever before, almost as if it were enjoying the screams.

A thin bolt of Dark Energy was leaping from its rough surface like a thin serpent, flickering rapidly as it connected to Erol's metallic frame, lifting him from the ground to hover.

Erol himself was curled into a ball, clutching his legs to his chest, trying desperately to block out the pain. He knew Os'hildai was helping him, gifting him with tremendous power, but the pain was unbearable. He could feel his mechanical body shifting, circuits and wires shrieking with the unbearable power flooding into him.

Three days had passed thus, and still Erol's voice boomed like an unceasing tide rushing over an obsidian shore. And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the pain stopped, and Erol fell to his knees. For the longest time he didn't dare to move, for fear that the pain would return anew, greater than ever before.

An hour passed with him curled in a twisted heap of flesh and metal. His sharp robotic eyes scanned the area, not daring to look up at the crystal.

The crystal began to glow softly, letting off waves of soft, malicious light reminiscent of smoke. "Rise, you pathetic coward," it hissed, steadily growing more intense.

Wheezing, Erol rose to his feet, never parting his eyes from the crystal.

"Behold your new power, Erol, for it is one that your ancestors had always wished to possess."

Erol looked down at his mechanical frame and gasped, sliding his hands down his body. His torso, right thigh, and left shin were covered with a thick, purplish covering, almost like an old tarp. As he ran his hands down it, he realized that it was skin. He had skin. Erol couldn't help but laugh as his fingers ran down his new skin, feeling the gentle tickle of metal on flesh.

"The power I give you is not one to be neglected Erol, for it will help you greatly in your quest for the Sages. Focus on the Dark Eco, and imagine it twisting into any shape you please. You must picture it in your minds eye as clearly as if it were happening before you."

Erol did as instructed and focused. He knew what he wanted it to be. His hand tensed as he imagined the Dark Eco taking form, forming legs, torso, arms, and finally a head. Every detail had to be perfect. Fingers, hair, goggles…

Erol opened his eyes and grinned inwardly to see a perfect Dark Eco model of Jak standing before him, its emotionless eyes staring blankly back at him. Erol chuckled as he walked about his creation inspecting every detail, reveling in his own magnificence.

"I give you the power to control Dark Eco," Os'hildai hissed, "use it wisely, develop it, and you will be able to create an entire army out of a large body of the substance."

"This will definitely come in handy in case the Sages decide to put up a fight."

Os'hildai suddenly gasped, his crystal glowing brighter than a miniature star. The room's frame shook dangerously, bits of dust particles falling from the cracks and imperfections that time had created.

"What is it, master?"

Os'hildai seemed to regain his composure, the crystal lessening in intensity. "Look into the pool, Erol. See what I see."

Cautiously Erol peered over the side of the platform into the bottomless pool of Dark Eco. An image slowly came into view, almost like a TV screen. Erol gazed closer to see the form of a squadron of Hellcats. They were great in number, like a swarm of Wumpbees.

"It appears that you are not the only one who knows of my plans. You best set off now, don't lose any time, lest they reach a Sage before you."

Erol bowed deeply to the crystal, and then turned back to the lifeless replica of Jak. "Watch out, you light freak," he said, running his metallic hand through its hair, "I'm coming." As Erol's hand reached the middle of the replica's head, he squeezed, shattering the perfect frame of the replica between his fingers. All at once the replica fell apart, falling to the ancient stone of the platform.

Thin fingers of smoke rose from the surface as the Dark Eco hissed, dissolving the stone beneath it.

_To Be Continued…_


	9. Chapter Nine: The Chronicles of Theta I

**Ekobean: Huzzah! Chapter nine! **

_The Chronicles of Theta: Part I_

The Hellcat's engine's roared with great intensity, the thick trail of smoke left behind resembling a black walkway leading back to Haven City. To safety.

Ashelin was watching as that walkway was formed, her lean frame twisted in its seat. She wished beyond anything that she could take that walkway, that road back to Haven and forget Erol and his master's twisted intentions.

She knew what she was doing was for the best, the welfare of Haven City and the rest of the world. Scarcely a year had passed since that horrific scene in Mar's Tomb. She never told anybody this, but Ax's twisted, fleshless frame was still burned into her memory like a fresh scar. No matter how hard she tried to push it away, it was always there. And it would never go away.

Ashelin looked at Torn from over her shoulder, pushing a lock of blood-red hair out of her crystalline eyes. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Torn. He was conversing with another member of Theta group, asking how long before they would reach the Red Sage's palace at their present velocity, how far to a safe camp site, blah blah blah…

His dark, braided hair drifted calmly in the slight breeze, giving him a near godly appearance. Her god…

Ashelin shook her head, clearing the ridiculous thought from her head. What was she thinking? She and Torn had feelings for one another, they both knew that; half the city knew that. But she sounded like some damsel in distress from one of those sappy romance novels she had been forced to read in school.

The sun was setting quickly, spreading a bountiful array of jubilant colors across the cloudless sky. The iron frames of mountains, their pinnacles shimmering in the setting sun, gave off a light reflection that dazzled the onlookers of Theta group.

Ashelin twisted around, sitting back down in her seat, checking the Hellcat's fuel gages.

"We'll be landing in about another half hour," Torn informed her, clicking off his radio. Ashelin nodded, acknowledging his information. Torn shivered suddenly, despite himself. She had to admit that it was pretty cold at their present altitude, but her years in the Krimzon Guard as a commander had taught her to always stay strong, and to never show any sign of weakness. "Aren't you cold?" Torn asked, nodding to her less-than-modest garb.

"I'm fine," Ashelin said, chuckling slightly, "but thanks." Why did she wear so little clothing? Her excuse to everyone as much as herself was that it gave more ability for quickness and agility in combat. She said that she figured it was better to never get hit in combat than to get hit with armor.

The red-haired she-elf slid back in her cushioned chair, crossing her arms close to her chest. Just another half an hour and she would be able to have some sleep. She hadn't had a wink of sleep since Samos had first relayed his news to her and the rest of the group. Ashelin smiled to herself. How were they right now? Were they safe? Had they had any more success than Theta had had?

Minutes seemed to pass at mach speed. Ashelin had busied herself by going over strategies in her head. They were growing close to a lave tube. Torn and herself had figured that the hottest possible place was at the center of the planet, and what better way to reach it than through a lava tube? It was just like one of Jak's stories about the things he had done centuries ago.

The Hellcat's engines began to hum at a lesser pace, the fans within slowing as the vehicle's altitude lessened. Torn made a motion with his hand, signaling to the rest of the squadron behind them to follow. The Hellcat slowly passed below the thick layer of trees that covered the expanse of the land below. Ashelin looked about the clearing they had landed in, leaping out of the Hellcat to test the ground.

Dozens of other Hellcats landed behind theirs, the roaring of multiple engines slowly dying off one by one like a distant storm.

Ashelin marched about the expanse of the clearing, ignoring the crashes and distant thrashing of underbrush as small animals and assorted creatures fled from the new arrivals. Seeing that there didn't seem to be any problems with the makeshift landing strip, Ashelin walked with Torn one by one to each of the Hellcats, helping the pilots inspect the wings and frames, testing the engines and fuel cells, most of which seemed mostly undamaged.

Ashelin drew her Red Eco pistol and fired a single shot into the air, both gaining the Krimzon Guards' attention and silencing everything around the immediate area simultaneously. "Alright listen up!" she barked, demanding each and every person's respect and attention, "we are to set up camp immediately. Nobody rests until we know our surroundings like we do the city. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir!"

"Zephyr, Marx, and Deima; you are to thoroughly examine all area within a kilometer from camp. We don't want any unwelcome visitors in the nights. Move!"

The quiet clearing was a mismatched, unorganized mess of people and supplies; each person working on one individual job, whether it be setting up camp or venturing into the woods. An hour passed like a lightning strike, quick and unexpected.

Most of the tents had been set up in that time, their occupants already in a heavy sleep or stripping away their armor to do so.

The three scouts returned an hour afterward, relaying that most of the surrounding area was all forest except for a large canyon to the east. According to the scouts it extended for about a mile, a deep crack in the earth's crust. It was about a hundred and fifty feet before ending in a narrow river at the bottom. Its sides were shear, jagged rock. No roots are plants grew from them. According to them, it looked like a road to Hell.

Ashelin thanked them deeply and relieved them of duty. They thanked her with equal graciousness and traveled to separate tents, throwing aside bits of armor and underwear before slipping through the outside flap.

Ashelin sighed and took one final, long gaze across the expanse of the dark clearing. The sun had long since set, and had been replaced by a star-laden night sky. Each star was like a glowing eye winking back at her, almost teasing her.

She stiffened slightly as Torn's gentle hand clasped about her hips. "Come on, let's go to bed," he muttered, half asleep.

"You go ahead," she said pulling away slowly, "I'm going to stay up for a while."

Torn shrugged and shuffled awkwardly to a larger tent set off to the side of the clearing. Once he entered, she began traveling to the outskirts of the clearing, heading eastward. She wanted to have a closer look at this chasm.

The forest was a natural deathtrap, full of holes and burrows. Several low hanging vines had caught her around the neck at different times, and each time it had felt like some the deadly cord of a sly assassin trying to choke the life from her. And several times he had drawn her curved, flawless blade from its sheath around her hips and, crying savagely, sliced the vines to pieces.

After what felt like a century of walking, tripping, and choking, Ashelin had finally managed to slice her way through the thick wood and plant life of the surrounding forest.

And now she saw it, the chasm that the scouts had relayed to her with such detail. It did indeed span a great length, like a winding serpent across the pitch black earth of the night. Testing her will, she dared to sneak to the very edge of the cliff, peering down into the pitch darkness of the chasm. The outside walls were indeed rough, each outcropping like a jagged tooth in the maw of a giant Metal Head.

She groped in the back pocket of the skin-tight pants, and produced a small flare, which she lit. Leaning as far as she dared over the bottomless pit, she let the flare fall, watching the bright pink light fade rapidly, falling ever downward until it was invisible, completely swallowed by the foreboding darkness within. Ashelin sighed deeply, stepping slowly away from the chasm. She had had enough. She turned and began walking back to the campsite, stealing one final glance into the chasm before turning completely, only to jump in shock.

Torn was standing there watching her with a hard look of distaste. "Torn?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he hissed, "do you have any idea about how risky that is?"

"Torn," she groaned.

"If you had fallen we wouldn't have any idea where to look for you. You could have died!"

"Torn!" she roared, "I know what I'm doing, ok? I've been in the KG a _lot_ longer than you have. I know what I'm doing!"

"Ashelin, I never would have forgiven myself if something had happened to you," he said, his demeanor softening greatly. "If you" –

Ashelin chuckled slyly. "So, he has a soft side does he?"

Torn lowered his head, a small smile creeping across his tattooed face. Looking back up at her, he clasped her gloved hand and pulled her close to him. "I" –

Ashelin stiffened suddenly, her sensitive ears picking up something from the bottom of the chasm behind her. Breaking away from Torn, she jogged back to the very edge of the cliff, and peered down again, trying to see, to cut through the unbreakable darkness below.

There were voices down there, muffled voices, gruff and hard, unlike anything she had heard before. "Do you hear that?" she said, signaling Torn to come closer. Abandoning all hope of safety, she bent lower, crouching down on her hands and knees, holding her head farther down into the chasm.

"Ashelin" – he warned.

Things happened in a sequence too quick for Ashelin to comprehend. One moment she had been there, leaning over the edge like a victim on the brink of life and death. The next moment there was a sound of crumbling rock. Torn had shouted, and the next moment she was falling, screaming, down into the depths of the chasm. Torn's form silhouetted against the night sky shrunk rapidly. The sky above seemed like the blaze of the midday sky compared to the blackness that swallowed her entire body now.

Nothing but the sound of her own screaming and the echoes as they bounced off the closing walls of the chasm.

And then nothing. Nothing but cold and the hard iciness of water. And she was swallowed, swallowed in the nothingness of her own mind…

_To be continued…_

**Ekobean: I like this one very much. If it felt at all rushed please feel welcome to tell me. I tried to put a bit of TornxAshelin in there for y'all. From here on until the end it is going to be split up into three parts: _The Chronicles of Theta, The Chronicles of Beta, _and _The Chronicles of Alpha. _I'll try to update soon. Ciao! **


	10. Chapter Ten: The Chronicles of Theta II

**Ekobean: After a while of being sidetracked by useless school work, I have decided to update. Here ya go. **

_The Chronicles of Theta: Part II_

Ashelin groaned. Everything was dark. No movement, no sign of rocks or the sources of the mysterious voices that had echoed up from within the cave like a swarm of shadowy bats. There was only darkness and the sound of water.

Water was all around her, trickling down from some unknown source deep within the pit of the darkness.

Ashelin stirred. She forced her deep, green eyes open, to gaze around the deep pit of nothingness. The opening from where she had fallen was only a sliver, like a horizontal slash across a starless night sky.

Slowly, one by one, she forced her arms to move, to slide across the slick rock surface she was laying on, half submerged in the stream of cave water. Groaning, she rose up ever so slowly to a sitting position. The water was cold, deadly cold. Everything below her hips was numb, her legs felt like they had been carved out of rock.

Ashelin blindly frisked herself, running her hands down the length of her body, searching for fractures or bruises, anything that may limit her chances for getting out of the crevice alive. Her entire body ached, her back most of all. Falling hundreds of feet was not good for someone, even if they did land in water.

Ashelin winced suddenly, choking back a yelp. She ran her gloved fingers over the perfect outline of her ribs and sucked in air through her clenched teeth, her eyes squeezed shut. Two broken ribs. Not bad for such a long fall, but not good for trying to get out.

Grimacing, she reached into the pocket of her legging, producing a small Krimzon Guard radio. "Torn?" she said hopefully, ignoring the pain that erupted from her belly when she spoke. The radio fizzled and popped, emitting a racket reminiscent of the death screams of a doomed Hip Hog.

"Damn it," she hissed, chucking the small device into the darkness. She heard a satisfying snap as the tiny radio made contact with the opposite wall, crunching into hundreds of tiny fragments.

Ashelin grunted and dug through a pocket on her other leg and pulled out a pocket flashlight. A thin, white beam emerged from the end of the small device, traveling out about ten feet before fading.

Grimacing, the red-haired elf began to hoist herself out of the freezing water. Her steel-soled boots slipped suddenly as they ran across the slick coat of slime that clung to the rock. Ashelin yelped, falling head-over-heels back into the freezing cave water. Grasping the flashlight tight in her hand, the elf thrashed wildly with her hands and lifeless feet, flailing until her hand touched the rock again. Relieved, she heaved herself back onto solid ground, fighting to hold back tears as a new wave of pain flooded from her fractured ribs.

The water tasted awful. It may not have been water at all for all she knew. It was flat and lifeless, not in any way refreshing. It rolled off her tongue as a flat liquid, not beading or forming droplets. It felt dead.

Her stomach turning, Ashelin hoisted herself from the briny liquid, her legs flopping lifelessly behind her. As she began to rub her legs, trying frantically to get the feeling back into them, the flashlight's beam fell onto a small impression in the Earth. Ashelin stopped her work to gaze at the shadowy impression in the squishy soil. A footprint.

So there had been someone down here!

Ashelin stopped herself from calling for help. She had no idea what could be down here. The footprint looked elfish enough, but it was larger. The soil around it was hot and dry, compressed into small clusters of rock.

And worse, whatever it was could still be down here. Ashelin slowly raised the flashlight from the footprint, running it across the span of the cave, her eyes darting nervously back and forth. Every shadow became the silhouette of some demonic beast with the express intent of ending her life. Every pointed rock or jagged boulder became a spear or cruel device of torture.

Her breaths came in short, ragged gasps; her stomach turning in one long spasm of fear. For the first time in her life Ashelin was openly afraid. She was alone, a single flashlight her only source of light.

Yet, the more she quivered at the fact, the more it became increasingly obvious. The creatures, whatever had been down here, had left. There were footprints. And unless she was going to climb hundreds of feet with no rope and broken ribs, she had to follow the whatever-they-weres.

Breathing deeply, her hand clutched tight over her exposed midriff, Ashelin began a slow, steady walk along the path of the footprints. With every step the stench of mold and isolation grew heavier and more obvious. The flashlight's tiny beam was like the thin blade of a rapier, and she brandished it as such, slashing through the thick, unending darkness that closed in on her, threatening to smother her.

Time seemed to have slowed to an agonizing crawl. Ashelin had lost all senses save that of hearing and smell. Her legs seemed to move with a will of their own, following the pre-designated path by her unknowing hosts.

Her blood-red, braided hair clung to the back of her smooth neck, plastered in a mixture of cave water and bitter sweat.

The air about her was thick and musty, as if weighted down by the aromas of cave moss, underground water, and the aroma of her own sweat.

The world became this path to her, the looming darkness on either side representing the Void, the emptiness that existed outside of the Precursors' vast creations; the deepest reaches of outer space.

All at once a sharp new smell hit her nostrils with the force of a speeding Hellcat. It was a smell most unnatural, a smell that definitely didn't belong down here. It was a smell she had grown accustomed to, as smell that had wafted from Jak's pores when she had first met him when her Hellcat had crashed in the Pumping Station. It was the smell that had permeated the air of Haven City for months after the Dark Metal Head attack. It was the smell of Dark Eco.

On instinct Ashelin immediately doused the flashlight, inching forward purely with the sense of touch, tapping her foot in front of her. With every step the reek grew stronger, more powerful.

Ashelin's heart was beating furiously, yet the blood in her veins felt icy cold.

At first she believed her eyes were playing tricks on her, her mind broken by horrors too great to bare. She shook her head, trying to clear the image from her mind. But it was real. As real as the Red Eco pistol that she held in her quivering, sweat-soaked palm. A dim orange light, like the light given off by a growing ember. _Light._ The word itself felt so welcome that Ashelin could have fallen to her knees and wept.

As Ashelin inched closer the intensity of the light grew, the ember growing to a roaring flame. Ashelin crouched, inching on her hands and knees toward the familiar glowing light. But as the light increased, something else became visible. Ashelin stopped suddenly, the blood pounding in her temples once again running cold.

In the light of the flame the silhouettes of numerous monstrosities became visible. In the shining orange light the texture of their skin, the horns covering their bodies were illuminated in frightening detail. There were no eyes decorating their bare foreheads, only scabbed, bloody flesh. Their gaping maws were filled with rows of inch-long, jagged razors. They were monstrosities, unnatural being forged out of someone's deepest, darkest nightmares. That was the only way to explain it.

The glow itself emanated from a large device reminiscent of a drill. From the barrel of the smooth device, which itself seemed to glow with its own light, leapt a column of living flame. The flame struck the ancient rock of the crevice, boring a deep, smoking hole into the rock. A thin trail of mist whirled and twisted from the boiling rock, floating upward like a frail rope.

Ashelin's eyes again fell on the group of creatures, her breath coming in short, quick gasps. She scanned the group over and over again. It was impossible to tell exactly how many of them there were. Only a fraction, she was sure, was visible in the fire's glowing light. The rest of them were lurking in the darkest corners of the cave, as sneaking and nosing about.

The she-elf's heart skipped a beat. One of the beasts had moved, its eyeless face turned toward her, its shape contorted like a crouched wolf that had caught a scent. _It was aware of her._

As Ashelin began to creep backward, more and more heads began turning, their gaping mouths drawing in the putrid air of the cave, tasting her presence.

The red-headed she elf crept back farther and farther, unaware of the tears running down her tattooed cheeks. She was whimpering, tasting the bitter-sweetness of the tears as they ran into her mouth. Her limbs kicked faster and harder than ever, throwing away the element of stealth to the overwhelming panic that filled her being like a cancerous plague.

All at once three of the beasts leaped, five more emerging from the deep shadows. They all let loose a scream that erupted deep from within their chests. What torturous source could have spawned such a sound was a mystery to all but Os'hildai himself and his puppet Erol. Ashelin scrambled to her feet, sprinting down the path, her clothing ripping and her exposed flesh scraped and bruised.

For the first time in her young life, Ashelin was the hunted.

_To be continued…_


	11. Chapter Eleven: Chronicles of Theta III

Ashelin ran blindly down the narrow path of the cave, guided only by the pen-sized flashlight held in her gloved hands. She was oblivious to everything now, the horrible pain in her ribs, the uncountable cuts and bruises covering her body, and the wet nothingness of the dead water as it splashed lifelessly around her shins.

There was only one thought on her mind now: survival. She was being chased by creatures like none which she had ever seen. They like horribly deformed elves, no eyes, only scabbed, black flesh, and teeth. Gnashing, razor-sharp teeth.

Ashelin's breath came in harsh ragged gasps, what little vision she had by the thin beam of her flashlight blurred with pain and exhaustion. Never halting, Ashelin turned and fired several shots of Red Eco behind her.

The balls of flaming Eco flew through the air like miniature comets hurtling from the farthest reaches of space. For a second only the uncountable pursuing creatures were illuminated by the extreme red glow of the fireballs. Several inhuman cries rang out, made even worse by the echoes that rang out around her. Despite herself, Ashelin couldn't help smiling. So, they could be killed. Her chances for survival were improving, no matter how little.

Her footfalls rang out with cold splashes as her feet fell again and again into the puddles of lifeless water that flowed from some unknown stream. This was what the Abyss was like, wasn't it? That place of curdled nothingness at the very center of the Underworld, where all the evil people of the world went when their bodies on the mortal plane died? Ashelin had been told of this place many times by her mother, a highly religious woman who had been suddenly stricken with a brain tumor. She had died before Ashelin's eyes. As Ashelin watched her mother fade away, she remembered wondering where her mother would go?

What were these things? Were they agents of the Underworld? Were they the tortured souls of elves long dead, returning to try and take the world for their own? What the hell were they? They certainly looked demonic enough to be from some hellish otherworld. What other explanation was there?

Suddenly something that felt like a dead branch caught Ashelin square in the face. The female elf grunted in pain and shock, landing flat on her back. A jolt of pain flew up her body from her ribs.

The soft padding of the creatures' feat drawing ever nearer was the only thing that made her scramble back to her feet, a soft whimper escaping her mouth as she continued her desperate sprint. Even if she managed to outrun them where would she go? There was no chance of her scaling the oil-slick walls of the cave, let alone with two broken ribs.

Ashelin fired two more balls of Red Eco at the creatures, once again seeing their inhuman forms illuminated in the sharp red glow of the projectiles in horrifying detail. _Move your ass!_ Her mind screamed, even as her body begged her to stop, to just lay down and take a rest, bathe in the cool cave water, even if it felt dead –

"No!"

She would run as long as she could, as long as her battered body would allow, she would run from these damned beasts like a clever hare pursued by a pack of ravening wolves. She would escape.

These thoughts vanished from her brain in an instant. A single long-fingered hand closed about her left arm, pulling her backward with inhuman strength. Its touch burned like acid, a pain that overcame even the continuous throbbing of her fractured ribs.

Two more hands closed around the struggling elf woman, pulling her farther and farther back into the darkness, that darkness which would consume her; flesh, blood, and bone.

"LET GO!"

With her remaining arm Ashelin fired a volley of Red Eco at the roaring beasts. For each that fell under her gunfire two more seemed to take its place. Ashelin's flashlight fell from her hand, rolling slowly across the expanse of the fissure before plunging into the depths of the water. Ashelin could see the thin beam of light cutting dimly through the darkness under the water, it beam obscured slightly by the rippling surface.

Ashelin was now plunged into complete darkness. There was only the sound and the smell to guide her. The sound of the rapidly advancing creatures, each with a touch that burned like a powerful acid, and the smell; the rank, vile smell of their tough, leathery hides similar to sweat.

She could only make out vague images of them in the continuous red flare of her projectiles. There was no end to them! They were like a stream, no matter where you blocked it off, there was always another way it would get through! There was no stopping them. And suddenly something happened that Ashelin was dreading most. Instead of firing another shot, her gun clicked. She pulled the trigger again and again, cursing with the most foul words she knew. But nothing came, only the "click, click" that spelled her doom.

They overtook her easily, pinning her to the ground. The damp cave floor came up hard on the back of her head, her hair already askew from her desperate dash quickly soaked the damp residue on the floor.

The creatures surrounded her, baring down on her like a pack of hyenas, each hissing, saliva dripping from their gaping maws filled with loose, crooked teeth. So this was it. This was how it would end. Ashelin would not go down pleading for her life. If she was going to die, she was going kicking and screaming, fighting even as the creatures bore into her, laid her open. She would not give them the satisfaction of an easy kill.

Suddenly the creatures began to scream. They turned, glaring up into the light at the top of the cave. Several of them fell, jerking spasmodically as a thick goop poured from their bodies. The creatures began to fall like insects before an exterminator. Several turned and retreated back into the darkness, their malevolent screams echoing long after they were gone.

Ashelin was momentarily stunned. Everything had happened so fast. One moment she had been pinned to the fissure's cold stone floor, then the next the creatures were screaming, dying, running away. What had –?

Her unasked question was soon answered as the roar of Hellcat engines filled the area. The sound filled the air, echoing throughout the expanse of the cave. The sound, reverberating again and again off of the craggy sides of the chasm was deafening. Ashelin slumped to her knees groaning, her blue-gloved hands; now soaking wet; held tight over her ears.

The Hellcat landed several feet away, its engines slowly dying as the landing gear touched down on the uneven stone floor. Ashelin slowly lowered her hands from her ears, cringing slightly at the fresh burst of fiery pain that flooded up her torso from her ribs.

Torn leapt nimbly from the Hellcat, jogging frantically to the crouched elf woman. Ashelin, groaning slightly, rose to meet him. "Ashelin, are you alright?" he gasped, halting in front of her, his eyes alight with panic.

Ashelin could not respond. Her mouth opened, ready to pour out every scrap of information on what had happened. But she couldn't, no sound escaped her mouth, only a rasping whisper similar to that of a half-drowned person gasping for air.

"T-Torn," she whimpered, raising her hands to his face. She groaned again, and then the world went black, blacker even than the surrounding Abyss. Abruptly, Ashelin fainted into Torn's welcoming arms.

_To be continued…for real…_


End file.
